Location: Hoan Kiem Lake is located in the center of Ha Noi.
Characteristic: Hoan Kiem Lake also called Lake of the Restored Sword. The name Lake of the Restored Sword is derived from a legend.
◊ Legend of Restored Sword Lake
After ten years of hard fighting (1418 - 1428), the Lam Son insurrectionists led by Le Loi swept the foreign invaders out of the country of Dai Viet (Great Viet), ending the Ming's 20-year domination over the Viet people. Le Loi became a national hero, proclaiming himself kings, called Le Thai To and establishing his capital in Thang Long.
On a beautiful afternoon, the king and his entourage took a dragon-shaped boat for sight-seeing on Luc Thuy (Green Water) Lake, which was located in the centre of Thang Long Capital (present-day Ha Noi). As the boat was gliding on the lake, suddenly there was a great wave and on top of the wave, the Golden Tortoise Genie appeared, telling the king: "Your Majesty, the great work is completed. Would you please return the sacred sword to the King of the Sea?".
The precious sword was formerly lent to Le Loi by the King of the Sea and was always beside him throughout his battles and helped him win over the Ming invaders. At the time the Tortoise Genie spoke, the sword hung at the King's waist. It then moved out of the scabbard and flew towards the Genie. The Genie kept the sword in his mouth and dived under the water and bright lightning flashed up to the sky. Since then, Luc Thuy Lake has been called the Restored Sword Lake or the Sword Lake for short.
◊ Ideal destination of the capital
The Sword Lake is not only a historical site but also a beauty-spot of the capital. When visiting Ha Noi, Ludemis, a Greek poet, exclaimed: The Sword Lake - An emerald jewel set in the heart of the city, With the Red River as a silk ribbon around. It is said that when visiting Ha Noi, if the visitor does not see the Sword Lake, then they would not have actually been in Ha Noi. The lake is an endless topic and inspiration for painters, poets, writers, music composers, etc, and innumerable works about the lake have been produced.
Once, a famous Japanese painter said to the late-painter Van Giao that he had painted dozens of pictures of Mount Fuji - the second to none beauty spot of Japan. Then painter Van Giao replied by saying that he had painted hundreds of pictures of the Sword Lake.The Sword Lake is really an emerald jewel of Ha Noi. For generations, the Vietnamese believed that deep in the green water of the Sword Lake, there is a sacred sword of their ancestors, which is carefully safeguarded by the golden tortoise. When the weather changes, the tortoise emerges on the water surface to take a sun bath, seeming to prove his existence and remind the young generation of their national history of defending their country from foreign invaders.
◊ Attractions around the Lake
There are several rare relics around Hoan Kiem Lake. To the east is Hoa Phong Tower, and King Ly Thai To Statue; to the west is King Le Thai To Statue and his Memorial House; the north-east is Ba Kieu Temple, But Tower (pen-shaped tower), The Huc Bridge connecting with Ngoc Son Temple.
Ha Noi Capital
Add: 23 Ma May St., Hoan Kiem Dist.
Tel: (84-24) 3828 0195
Add: 83 Thuoc Bac St., Hoan Kiem Dist.
Tel: (84-24) 3825 0020
Add: 113 Hang Gai St., Hoan Kiem Dist.
Tel: (84-24) 3826 7453
Add: 3 Thanh Ha St., Hoan Kiem Dist.
Tel: (84-24) 3825 3290
Add: 54 Hang Trong St., Hoan Kiem Dist.
Tel: (84-24) 3826 7120
Add: 7 Cua Dong St., Hoan Kiem Dist.
Tel: (84-24) 3828 6236
Add: 8 Ly Thai To St., Hoan Kiem Dist.
Tel: (84-24) 3825 1943
Add: 22 Ta Hien St., Hoan Kiem Dist.
Tel: (84-24) 9261 106
Add: 56 Ngo Huyen St., Hoan Kiem Dist.
Tel: (84-24) 3826 0471
Add: 58 Hang Gai St., Hoan Kiem Dist.
Tel: (84-24) 3826 8982
Add: 37 Ma May St., Hoan Kiem Dist.
Tel: (84-24) 3826 7151
Add: 39 Hang Be St., Hoan Kiem Dist.
Tel: (84-24) 3824 0434
Add: 24 Nha Chung St., Hoan Kiem Dist.
Tel: (84-24) 3828 7008/ 3826 9823
Add: 96 Hai Ba Trung St., Hoan Kiem Dist.
Tel: (84-24) 3824 8314
Add: 17 Hang Duong St., Hoan Kiem Dist.
Tel: (84-24) 8267 820
Add: 39 Hang Bac St., Hoan Kiem Dist.
Tel: (84-24) 9260 322
Add: 22 Cua Dong St., Hoan Kiem Dist.
Tel: (84-24) 3846 8525
Add: 12 Cau Go St., Hoan Kiem Dist.
Tel: (84-24) 3826 6074
Add: 32 Hang Vai St., Hoan Kiem Dist.
Add: 34 Hang Manh St., Hoan Kiem Dist.
Tel: (84-24) 3828 5053
Add: 6 Le Thai To St., Hoan Kiem Dist.
Tel: (84-24) 3828 6290
Add: 19 Phan Chu Trinh St., Hoan Kiem Dist.
Tel: (84-24) 3824 0926
Add: 19 Han Thuyen St., Hoan Kiem Dist.
Tel: (84-24) 3824 7697
Add: 79A Tran Hung Dao St., Hoan Kiem Dist.
Tel: (84-24) 3942 4140
Add: 9 Nguyen Khac Can St., Hoan Kiem Dist.
Tel: (84-24) 3825 7220
Add: 3 - 4, TT4, My Dinh apartment block, Song Da
Tel: (84-24) 3787 6969
Add: 6C Phan Chu Trinh St., Hoan Kiem Dist.
Tel: (84-24) 3826 2168
Add: 1C Tong Dan St., Hoan Kiem Dist.
Tel: (84-24) 3934 3513
Add: 24 Hang Be St., Hoan Kiem Dist.
Tel: (84-24) 3824 5359/ 3824 2252
Add: 73 Cau Go St., Hoan Kiem Dist.
Tel: (84-24) 3926 0801
Add: 4 Nam Ngu St., Hoan Kiem Dist.
Tel: (84-24) 3942 0812
Add: 92 - 94 Hang Trong St., Hoan Kiem Dist.
Tel: (84-24) 3826 8542
Add: Sofitel Metropole Hotel - 15 Ngo Quyen St., Hoan Kiem Dist.
Tel: (84-24) 3826 6919 (ext. 8206)
Add: 25 Nha Tho St., Hoan Kiem Dist.
Tel: (84-24) 3828 9052
Add: 59A Ly Thai To St., Hoan Kiem Dist.
Tel: (84-24) 3934 0888
Add: 58B Tran Quoc Toan St., Hoan Kiem Dist.
Tel: (84-24) 3942 5958
Add: 19 Ngo Van So St., Hoan Kiem Dist.
Tel: (84-24) 3944 6317
Add: 34 Hang Bai St., Hoan Kiem Dist
Tel: (84-24) 098 134 9898
Add: 43 Trang Tien St., Hoan Kiem Dist.
Tel: (84-24) 3936 7688 / 3936 7698
Add: 56 Ly Thai To Str., Hoan Kiem Dist.
Tel: (84-24) 3938 6999